The online article claiming an NYPD officer killed a baby, following an argument with her mother about breastfeeding, is a hoax.Getty

An article circulating online, claiming an New York Police Department (NYPD) officer killed a baby, following an argument over breastfeeding with the child's mother has turned out to be a hoax.

The bogus report was published on NationalReport.net, a satirical website known for publishing fake stories with sensational headlines.

The fake story read: "In a continuation of the ongoing police scandals rocking the New York City Police Department, three-month old infant Layla Smith has been pronounced dead following an August sixth incident. This closely follows the July seventeenth death of NYC resident Eric Garner after the use of a prohibited choke hold by officers against him. Garners death was ruled a homicide by the NYC medical examiners office."

"Suzanne Smith, Layla's mother, had been sitting on a bench in Queens waiting for the bus when Layla began to insistently cry. Knowing that her baby was hungry Ms. Smith began to breastfeed her daughter. Witnesses at the scene report that she was then approached by a NYPD Officer, later identified as Michael Fitzsimmons, who requested that she stop feeding the baby in public as it was "indecent". Ms. Smith refused to comply with the directive and told Officer Fitzsimmons that she wasn't doing anything illegal. Officer Fitzsimmons again insisted that she stop and threatened to arrest her for indecent exposure. Ms. Smith calmly responded to the Officer that he could not arrest her because breastfeeding in public wasn't against the law."

The story went on to claim that following the dispute, Fitzsimmons grabbed Suzanne by the back collar of her shirt and violently yanked her backwards. The baby toppled out of mother's hands, banged her head began to bleed.

Many Twitter users were tricked by the fake news report and expressed their disbelief.